Bit of News

 Well, life likes to kick me in the teeth.  I lost my job in December on my mom's birthday.  I was completely blindsided.  I was laid off because Ettin had not been doing well financially.  Luckily I had a bit of a buffer, but I am really going through that fast.  I had planned on getting new siding on my house last summer (mine is falling off) but didn't.  I'm glad I didn't, this is the money that I have been using.

Well when life gives you lemons....I finally got a new job.  I am working at HEB.  I am a bagger.  I am looking at this as a starting opportunity.  I have almost no current job experience and no certificates, training, etc.  So hopefully this will be a better pathway for me.  Wish me luck.

Dice, Dice Baby - Part 4 - Amazon

 I was cruising Amazon and ran across a few dice "gems" and thought I would share them here.

First up are some dice that I found and immediately thought of my oldest son Colin.  Colin dressed up steampunk style in the professional photos we got taken of him for his Graduation a few years back.

6mm Micro Polyhedral Dice Set with Pocket Watch Shell Case

Find it here

This next set is really cool.  I'm not a big gun nut, but this is awesome. They look like bullets in a barrel. They have Copper, Gold, Silver, and Black options.  I so wish they didn't have CZYY on the bottom.

Metal Polyhedral Bullet Dice Set of 7 with Spinning Revolver Cylinder Container - Cyberpunk Style Dice

Find it here

This next set is kind of plain, but I like the look of them anyway:  

Rainbow Stripe DND Metal Dice Set,7 PCS Zinc Alloy 

Find it here

The following set of dice are described as being magical and having a "crystal shards" look about them. There are many color options, but I like this blue black color combination the most.

7PCS Metal DND Dice Set Black Blue D&D Dice with Box

Find it here

Another Beholder Dice Set.  I showed one set in a previous post, but I like this set more.  I love the bone and skull look on the edges.  There are several color options as well.

Beholder DND Dice Set, Eye Monster Metal Dice

Find it here

Lord of the Ring Dice.  Now I found some of these on Temu.  I bought them and then returned them because they were garbage.  I looked at the reviews for these.  It seems like they aren't getting the color of the dice right but the rings are right and the dice look quality.  So I chose the clear with flowers in the middle of the rings.  I must have these dice.

Dice Set Sharp Edge Resin Dice Magic Rings Flower Inclusion with Dice Case

 
Find it here

This next set almost reminds me of flowers.  But not traditional flowers, stylized flowers like from the Art Deco/Art Nouveau time period.  This set comes in different color options.  I like this purple/green option as well as the blue option, blue/purple option, purple/yellow option, and the yellow/green option.

Metal Dice Set Purple Green Dungeons and Dragons Dice with Box, 7PCS Leaf Design 

Find it here

This next set has dragon heads on the dice.  This is a unique look that I haven't seen before. I'd love to see these in person.  Actually I'd love to own these, LOL

 Hollow Metal DND Dice Set - Unique Dragon Design Dice with Gift Dice Bag

Find it here

And last but not least, I have an accessory.  A dice jail, if you will. Why put your naughty dice in a regular dice jail when you can put them in ooze.  My manager showed me this dice jail. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to add it.

Dice Jail Gelatinous Cube Dice Prison Resin Dice Cage Translucent Dice

Find it here

Now none of these have affiliate links in this post but I am going to apply for it, so in the future I may update the links.  So right now, I am not making money on this post, but hopefully, I will in the future.

Review - The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons

Review of 

The Practically Complete Guide to Dragons

If you read the blog at ettingames.blogspot.com, you will find this exact same review.  I posted it there, then decided, hey, I wrote it, I'll repost it on my personal blog.  So, if you do see this there, I didn't steal it ;) I wrote it, LOL.

 Late last week at Ettin Games, we got in 2 great new books from Wizards of the Coast.  One was the "Glory of the Giants" which got a lot of hype and was very anticipated.  However, Wizards slid in a book that seemed to get little fanfare but has so much information.  Though it is geared towards D&D 5E (Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition), it can be used for any fantasy RPG game.  This would be a great book to pick up for any dragon lover or person who plays RPG's.  

In this review I will go over a quick rundown of each section found in the book.  

Section 1:  Anatomy of the Dragon - Truly, I don't feel you get much out of this section, but the artwork is pretty.

Section 2: Dragon Society - This is a very short one paragraph explanation.  Again, you don't get much out of this section

Section 3:  Dragon Lairs - The book has a general synopsis of a lair, but later on they get more detailed when looking at each type of dragon.

Section 4: Dragon Hoards - This section has pretty much what you would expect here, but they get more detailed later on when looking at each type of dragon.  This is just general information about dragon hoards.  This gets you through the first 9 pages of the book.  From now on, it gets more interesting.

Section 5:  Dragon Combat - This goes into a little more detail about combat with dragons.  Having said that, you will need to look into the specific dragon to know what kind of breath they possess.  They go over general information about the following:  Breath Weapon, Claws and Bite, Dragon Fear, Dragon Defenses, Dragon Weaknesses, Fighting a dragon.

Section 6:  Dragon Magic - There is general information about dragon magic in this section.  You will also find a great table that has the different dragon types and what kind of Breath Weapon they have.  Now this I feel should have been in the previous section but it is still very handy, no matter where it is in the book.  This section has general information about Elemental magic, Dragon Spellcraft, & Dragon Abilities.  At the end of this section, you will find another handy table about the special magical abilities that each type of dragon possesses.

Again, the artwork throughout the books is great.  It has a very sketchy book feel to some of the illustrations whereas, others are more finished.

Section 7: Language of Dragons - You will find some common Draconic words in this section as well as the script used.  There is a table of important words and phrases and a quick Dragon Etiquette Lesson.  

(In the Language of Dragons section, I think DM's (Dungeon Master's) will have the most fun with their players.  If you are a DM, don't just tell your players that they have found a scroll in Draconic.  Give them a scroll in Draconic.  If you have one player that speaks it, then give them the translation in a separate scroll.  Have fun with your players.)

Section 8: Life of a Dragon - talks about general information about a life of a dragon but most importantly, there is a table that has the Developmental Stages of a Dragon.  It talks about the ages of a Wyrmling, Young, Adult & Ancient.

Section 9: Types of Dragons - Here there is a brief description of Chromatic and Metallic Dragons but most importantly, it shows the wingspan of the different kinds of dragons.  This is the one illustration in the book that I think that could have shown a bit more detail, but I am not complaining as it gets the job done.

Section 10: Chromatic Dragons, Section 11: The Queen Dragon (this section is very brief and doesn't have the same information as the other types of dragons.) & Section 12: Metallic Dragons - Briefly lists all of the dragon colors and has sketches of the different types of dragons.  

After this, it goes through each color of dragon.  I am not going to list them all but I will say that the information they give on them is something I have been begging Wizards of the Coast to bring back to their monster manuals (yes I know this isn't a monster manual).  It talks about the Maximum Height, Weight, & Wingspans.  The book lists their favorite foods, habitats, enemies, and favorite treasure.  They talk about their distinguishing features, and more detail about the different developmental stages for each color (like where they lay their eggs).  The book also covers specific lairs for each dragon and combat.

Section 13: The Platinum Dragon - This is the king dragon for the Metallic dragons.  There isn't much information here.  

Section 14: Dragonkind - Brief descriptions of the following:  Faerie Dragon, Dragon Turtle, Pseudodragon, Dracolich, Shadow Dragon, Wyvern, Draconians (and brief descriptions of each color), Dragonborn & Kobolds

Section 15: Riding a Dragon - Talks about the qualities of a dragon rider, movements, Combat Maneuver,s and more.  There is a wealth of information for DM's and Players alike.

Section 16: Hereos of Dragon Magic - In this last section, the book touches on Dragon Sorcery, Drakwardens & Ascendant Dragon Monks.

My thoughts!!  Well, I should start off by saying that I bought the book.  I think that speaks for itself.  Now having said that, I think they could have put in a bit more detail in a few sections but overall it was good.  It did miss out on putting information about Gemstone Dragons in its pages, but the title actually says the "Practically Complete" guide, so I guess that explains it.  I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in Dragons, for all D&D Players & DMs.  But don't hesitate to pick up your copy even if you don't play D&D.  

Pick your copy at Ettin Games, Humble, TX.  Or Click Here

RPG - System Neutral Book I want

Here is a list of books that are system neutral that are on my wishlist.  I am sure there are other ones out there.  Like the previous post, these are books that are in print.  I know that most if not all are in digital form as well.  But I prefer my books in print.  So here we go...

Spectacular Settlements by Nord Games

Spectacular Settlements will help you create all manner of places to populate the worlds in which you play, be they existing settings, or your very own.

Inside, you’ll find easy-to-use settlement builder chapters, interesting NPCs, and a wide variety of other useful tables. For GMs in a hurry, 64 fully realized pre-generated settlements, each with their own unique artwork and full-color map, are ready to be slotted into any game world in seconds.

With the help of this book, realize the places that have been locked within your imagination!

Dangerous Destinations by Nord Games

Dangerous Destinations will help you create all manner of adventuring locations to populate the worlds in which you play, be they existing settings, or your very own.

Inside, you’ll find easy-to-use chapters to flesh out your destination, its environment, and the danger that lurks there, as well as antagonist profiles, and a wide variety of other useful tables. For GMs in a hurry, 60 fully realized pre-generated destinations, each with their own unique artwork and full-color map, are ready to be slotted into any game world in seconds.

With the help of this book, realize the places that have been locked within your imagination!

LoreSmyth's Ultimate Guide to:  Remarkable Guilds & Their Heroes

Remarkable Guilds & Their Heroes is the 4th book in the popular series of game master guides. This system-neutral book offers 200 pages of richly detailed content that is easy to adopt into your game sessions, from 10 pre-made Guilds to a wealth of information on creating and running your own Guilds. 

Richly illustrated artwork and layout. 

Arcane Artifacts and Curious Curios: 1000 Magical Artifacts for Game Masters by Madeline Hale

Do you play Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, or some other obscure brand of fantasy tabletop role-playing game? Do you enjoy any of the following:

• Cursed swords.
• Weird potions (that may turn you into a frog or something else unfortunate).
• What appears to be a jar full of teeth.
• A cursed statuette that brings horrible visions to your every sleeping moment.
  If you said yes to any of the previous items, then this book is for you!
  Arcane Artifacts and Curious Curios was written by a GM, for GMs. It is comprised of over 400 pages of magical items, from armor to weapons to jars of teeth. There are 1000 items, each with a detailed physical description, enchantment and complete history to add an exciting touch of color to every magical item you come across. No more bland +1 longswords! No sir!
• This book was designed to be used with any and all fantasy RPGs (though I’m sure more clever GMs could find a use for it in modern campaigns :) From robes of warding to bags of holding, Arcane Artifacts and Curious Curios is sure to fill all your magical item needs!

Table Fables Modern:  A collection of tables for the weary game master by Madeline Hale

Table Fables Modern is filled with hundreds of random tables and generators designed to make your game-playing and game-planning easier and, if possible, less stressful. With over 170 pages of fully illustrated tables, Table Fables Modern is designed to be useful to all Game Masters, old and new alike.

Table Fables Modern is designed for use in modern or current-era games. It includes tables of superpowers, cryptids, modern weapons, and vehicles, with detailed sections for character creation and setting generation. From my table to yours, happy gaming. Good luck and enjoy.

The Ultimate RPG Gameplay Guide: Role-Play the Best Campaign Ever―No Matter the Game! (Ultimate Role Playing Game Series) by James D'Amato

Improve your RPG campaign with this comprehensive and interactive guide to making the most out of your gaming experience.

Whatever RPG game you play, from D&D to Call of Cthulhu to licensed games like Star Wars, every detail is important. From setting the scene to choosing the right music or even adjusting the lighting to create the right atmosphere, every choice helps maximize your gaming experience.

The Ultimate RPG Gameplay Guide provides practical advice for everything from pre-game preparations and in-game improvisation to working out a plan of attack with your teammates to learning how to lean into the setting of your game. Including instructions, prompts, and activities, it offers everything you need for successful, fun role-playing with your friends every time you play.

Create hours of narrative and make the most out of your storytelling skills by setting the perfect scene for your adventure. Whether you need advice on your character or working better with your gaming group, James D’Amato includes everything you’ll need to take your game to the next level.

The Ultimate RPG Game Master's Worldbuilding Guide: Prompts and Activities to Create and Customize Your Own Game World (Ultimate Role Playing Game Series) by James D'Amato

Level up your Game Master skills with these fun, interactive prompts and activities to help your worldbuilding from RPG expert James D’Amato. Make your next campaign truly unique with the help of this interactive guide to world building!

From RPG expert James D’Amato comes a fun new guide that teaches beginner and experienced gamers alike how to build and create their own game elements for customizing existing adventures or creating new stories from scratch. The Ultimate RPG Game Master’s Worldbuilding Guide includes dozens of activities for a wide range of genres from fantasy and sci-fi to horror and x-punk. This lively and interactive book helps Game Masters create dynamic destinations, powerful items, shadowy organizations, compelling villains, and more.

Make the most of your gaming experience with these unique and personalized ideas for your gaming group’s next adventures!

The Ultimate RPG Character Backstory Guide: Expanded Genres Edition: Prompts and Activities to Create Compelling Characters for Horror, Sci-Fi, X-Punk, and More (Ultimate Role Playing Game Series)

Take your skyship pirate, haunted waif, or alien scientist to the next level with this fun, interactive book of exercises to help you build your RPG character’s backstory—made specifically for the genres you love to play.

You can now explore new RPG character ideas with this character backstory guide to the most popular RPG genres beyond fantasy, from sci-fi to horror and superhero to western themed games.

This latest guide from One Shot creator and RPG expert James D’Amato helps you build out an existing character or create a new one, with these activities that provide plenty of RPG fun before you even hit the gaming table. With activities to help you flesh out characters for fantasy, sci-fi, horror, x-punk, superhero and western campaigns (with an extra chapter of neutral exercises you can use whenever you like), this book has everything you need, whether you’re looking to start a new character, build out an existing character you’re currently playing, or explore new character ideas and genres.

Kobold Guide to World Building by Kobold Press

The Essential Elements for Building a World

Roleplaying games and fantasy fiction are filled with rich and fascinating worlds: the Forgotten Realms, Glorantha, Narnia, R'lyeh, Middle-Earth, Barsoom, and so many more. It took startling leaps of imagination as well as careful thought and planning to create places like these: places that readers and players want to come back to again and again.

Now, eleven of adventure gaming's top designers come together to share their insights into building worlds that gamers will never forget. Learn the secrets of designing a pantheon, creating a setting that provokes conflict, determining which historical details are necessary, and so much more.

Take that creative leap, and create dazzling worlds of your own!

Essays by Wolfgang Baur, Keith Baker, Monte Cook, Jeff Grubb, Scott Hungerford, David "Zeb" Cook, Chris Pramas, Jonathan Roberts, Michael A. Stackpole, Steve Winter, with an introduction by Ken Scholes.

Kobold Guide to Plots & Campaigns by Kobold Press

The Best Role in Roleplaying

Whether you’re a new gamemaster or a seasoned vet looking for a new angle to shake up your game, these 19 essays by 13 expert gamemasters demonstrate ways to construct your campaign from the ground up and keep your players engaged until the dramatic conclusion.

Within this volume, masters of the art show you how to begin a new campaign, use published adventures or loot them for the best ideas, build toward cliffhangers, and design a game that can enthrall your players for month or even years. Want to run an evil campaign, or hurl the characters into unusual otherworldly settings? Want to ensure that you’re creating memorable and effective NPCs and villains? We’ve got you covered.

Complete with discussions on plotting, tone, branching storytelling, pacing, and crafting action scenes, you’ll find all the tips and advice you need to take on the best role in roleplaying--and become an expert gamemaster, too!

Featuring essays by Wolfgang Baur, Jeff Grubb, David “Zeb” Cook, Margaret Weis, Robert J. Schwalb, Steve Winter, and other game professionals.

Kobold Guide to Gamemastering by Kobold Press

DECADES OF GMING EXPERIENCE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS! Whether it's advice from grognards who were running games at the dawn of RPGs, or suggestions from the new generation of game designers, these 21 essays by experts are here to help you improve your GMing skills and create fun, amazing, memorable campaigns that'll be talked about for years. In this book, master GMs and storytellers give you advice about solo campaigns, shy players, cell phones, and making rulings on the fly. Are you unprepared for the game you're running half an hour from now? Did you accidentally kill all the PCs? Do you want to run a game for kids? Did the plot take a sudden turn and the PCs have gone into uncharted territory? We've got you covered. Complete with discussions on highlighting player strengths, tips for new and veteran GMs, and character romances, you'll find useful advice about making your game more welcoming, more engaging, and more fun. Featuring essays by Wolfgang Baur, David "Zeb" Cook, Shanna Germain, Monica Valentinelli, Steve Winter, and many other game professionals

Kobold Guide to Dungeons by Kobold Press

Dungeons Are Half the Game.
You can’t control what players are going to do. That’s half the fun. But you can control where they do it. That’s a whole other half!

The Kobold Guide to Dungeons gives both new and experienced Game Masters over 100 pages of insight and ideas into making dungeons great. In-depth essays from industry luminaries teach you to think outside your own boxes, and into a larger realm of challenge, discovery, and good old monster bashing.

Practical essays give you insider tips and tricks to:
- Design non-linear dungeons to explore
- Think in 3D to make amazing spaces
- Make every room count, even when there’s no monster
- Create solutions in addition to combat
- Dole out treasure―without blowing the bank

The Kobold Guide to Dungeons features essays from classic voices of the RPG canon such as David “Zeb” Cook, Frank Mentzer, and Lawrence Schick. It also includes newer voices including Dominique Dickey, Sadie Lowry, and Erin Roberts.

Open this book and level up your half of the game!

Kobold Guide to Combat by Kobold Press

At the heart of every adventure lies conflict.

A Full-Throated Battle Cry, the Clash of Swords, the Smell of Smoke & Blood... COMBAT!

Whether it’s between a cursed knight and an elf prince at swordspoint, adventurers facing down an ogre, or two great armies clashing for ultimate power, combat changes everything.

Between these covers, more than 15 master game designers and storytellers get into the thick of it. These essays cover strategy and tactics, and the history of military systems at war. They demonstrate how to increase the tension in a conflict, and use monsters, magic, and war machines on the field. And these creators show you how to create great combat on the tabletop and in your storytelling.

Kobold Guide to Magic by Kobold Press

Kobolds Work a Little Magic

The popular and wildly useful Kobold Guide series tackles the biggest subject in fantasy: Magic!

What makes a fantasy fantastic? Magic, of course! Whether it’s unearthly beasts, scheming sorcerers, legendary swords or locales that defy logic and physics, a compelling fantasy story needs magical elements. The tricky part is that in order for the story to work, you have to get your reader or player to believe the unbelievable.

The Kobold Guide to Magic takes you behind the scenes to learn the secrets of designing and writing about magic from 20 top fantasy authors and game designers. Find out how to create more compelling, more interesting, and more playable magic at your table or in your stories—with the word from some of the most talented creators working today.

The topics are wide-ranging, from the secrets of Irish magic to tricks of impractical magic, from how to generate a sense of wonder at the gaming table to how to rejigger the teleport spell for stronger adventures to how to sell a character's soul and how to run a game with visions and prophecies. There are even sections on the magic of J.R.R. Tolkien and the tools available to a game master for making magic their own.
The Essential Guide to Magic in Fiction and Games

This essential companion for fantasy gamers and readers alike features essays by: Wolfgang Baur, Clinton Boomer, David Chart, David "Zeb" Cook, James Enge, Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb, Kenneth Hite, James Jacobs, Colin McComb, Richard Pett, Tim Pratt, John Rateliff, Thomas Reid, Aaron Rosenberg, Ken Scholes, F. Wesley Schneider, Amber E. Scott, Willie Walsh, Martha Wells, Steve Winter

The Great Book of Random Tables

120 D100 Random Tables for Fantasy Tabletop Role-Playing Games

Cut down game master prep time with random tables. Don't waste time prepping what your players will never see. Use these tables to fill in details on the fly.

In this book, you will find 1000 book titles, critical success and fail flavor tables, 600 random items in dungeon rooms, encounters, odd jobs, rumors, food, more than 3000 items and things, more than 1000 names, 500 town names, NPC descriptions, dungeon health side effects, fortunes, insults, mutations, and more.

Many of these tables first appeared in the following books. However, all the tables are re-edited, reorganized, and improved (some with more than 50% new items). Plus a number of new tables are included.

The Book of Random Tables
The Book of Random Tables 2
The Book of Random Tables 3
The Book of Random Tables 4
The Bookhounds of Eberron

The Book of Random Tables: Ancient World

Do you play Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder?

29 D100 Random tables for role-playing in ancient Greece and other ancient cultures. Find RPG tables like Items in a Temple, Items in a House, Ship's Cargo, and names fitting the different cultures.

Dungeons for the Dungeon Master 2

Do you play Dungeons and Dragons or Pathfinder RPG? Never get caught without a dungeon map for your next RPG campaign.

Dungeons for the Master 2 includes 111 original dungeon maps and four D100 random item tables. Grab a map for your next RPG session and let your imagination create an incredible adventure. Use the random tables to fill the dungeon room with items quickly. The 111 maps are found nowhere else and were created specifically for this book.

About this Book:

• 111 Dungeon maps
• All original designs
• Space for notes
• Partially ruled pages
• Blank space for math
• Four random tables
• Use with fantasy RPGs
• Cut down GM prep
• Always have a map ready

Fantasy Towns by Matt Davids

50 Towns, Villages, and Cities for Tabletop RPGs with Maps and Adventure Ideas

Do you play Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, or another fantasy RPG? If so, these towns and cities will cut down your GM and DM prep time.

Each town comes with a map and three adventures ideas. Plus history, government structure, information about the economy, imports and exports, population, demographics, businesses, and attractions or landmarks.

The Book of Random Tables: Quests

Need adventure ideas for Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder? Cut down your GM prep with 1000 quest options.

This book is a collection of quests or adventure ideas for the use in fantasy tabletop role-playing games. The ideas are organized by a broad topic and are placed in a random table format. Each table has one hundred ideas. You can use these adventure ideas to run RPG sessions in several ways.

You can read through the tables and choose an idea. You can take several ideas and combine them into one scenario for a campaign. You can roll randomly on a table to find an adventure on the fly. You can also use these ideas as side quests within original or premade campaigns.

The first six tables contain ideas that range from story hooks to scenarios to globe-spanning adventures. These tables are organized under the topics: Dungeons Hooks, Royal Quests, Forest Quests, Doorways to Another World, Town Quests, and Sea Quests.

The next three tables are as follows: Questing Beasts, Quest Objects, and Lost Cities. Here you will find the name of a thing and a bit of context. These are meant to be used as the goal of the quest. How the goal is attained is up to the gamemaster.

Meta-Quests is the last table in the book. It is a list of simple ideas that can be used as micro-quests much like collecting feathers in Angry Birds or bobbleheads in the Fallout videogames.

The Book of Random Tables: Quests 2

Need adventure ideas for Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder? Cut down your GM prep with 1000 quest seeds.

The one thousand adventures or quests for fantasy tabletop role-playing games in this book add flexibility to the gamemaster’s toolkit.

The purpose of this book, just as the first book of quests, is twofold. First, these adventure ideas help gamemasters cut down session prep by providing hooks and situations quickly. Our time is one of the most important resources we have, and we should not be wasting it. Second, these quests are kindling for the gamemaster’s imagination. These ideas are meant to help fan the flames of creativity.

The quest ideas in the book are arranged by a broad topic and are placed in D100 random table formats. The ideas can be used in a variety of ways. A gamemaster can roll randomly on a table or select ideas based on their preference. The ideas can be springboards to new campaigns or side quests or storylines that are weaved into an existing campaign. The ideas can be used as-is or mashed together to suit gamemasters’ needs.

The tables of ideas are Curses, Deserts, Disasters, Dragons, Dwarves, Fighter Guild, Ghosts, Halflings, Mountains, and War.

Each table is developed around a general controlling idea to help gamemasters determine what ideas are appropriate for their campaigns or sessions. Some of the quests are basic concepts and others are more detailed. This was done on purpose to provide a variety of adventure ideas with difficult scopes.

It is my sincere hope that this little book inspires thousands of epic quests.

The Book of Random Tables: Quests 3

Need quests for Dungeons and Dragons or Pathfinder? Cut down your game master prep with 1000 adventure ideas.

Like the first two books in the series, this book is meant to help the dungeon masters and game masters of fantasy tabletop role-playing games save time. Preparing RPG campaigns and sessions can be taxing, and sometimes a spark is needed to light the creative fires.

DMs and GMs always need clever hooks and stories to launch their players on fantastic adventures. These quest and adventure ideas can be used in a couple of different ways.

First, they can be used as the main objective of a campaign. Second, they can be used as side quests or rumors during a larger campaign. To help use the ideas in either of these ways, the quests range from simple to complex. This range gives DMs flexibility in crafting sessions.

The adventure ideas have been arranged in random tables so dungeon masters can roll percentile dice to discover quests. The element of randomness in tabletop RPGs often brings out the most fascinating and engaging stories. As game masters and players add to the seed provided, unique tales emerge.

The quests are categorized by different themes: Apocalyptic, Espionage, Fey, Gnome, Maps, Messages, Quest Givers, Ranger, Sky, and Thieves Guild.

Death and destruction reign in the Apocalyptic section. Gear up for spy action with the Espionage quests. Journey in the fair country with ideas in the Fey table. Spent some time with the little folk exploring the Gnome quests.

In the Maps table, game masters can give their players a unique map that leads to high adventure. The Messages section provides special deliveries for hints and clues characters need.

People need jobs done and one hundred of those people are found in the Quest Givers section. Rangers got to range with the variety of quests on the next table. Take to the skies with Sky quests. Get sneaky with quests suited for the Thieves Guild.

With these one thousand adventure ideas, you will never have a lull at the gaming table. Flip to any page, roll your dice and get ready for adventures you and your players will never forget.

The Book of Random Tables: Dungeons by Matt Davids

Do you play Dungeons and Dragons or Pathfinder RPG? Create dungeons for your players to explore.

This book helps dungeon masters and game masters cut down their prep time and have more fun at the gaming table. Grab some dice and roll up a dungeon.

Inside discover: 1,200 Room Items, 300 Dungeon Descriptors, 100 Maladies, 100 Bodies, 100 Inscriptions, 100 Statues with a Secret, Dungeon Origins, Items to Find, Foes and Rivals, Combat Complications, Clues to Larger Quests, Trap Triggers, Trap Effects, Non-Combat Encounters, Weird Scenarios, Riddles, Dungeon Maps, and More!

The No Prep Gamemaster by Matt Davids

Do you play D&D or Pathfinder? Tired of spending hours preparing for an RPG session?

This book provides helpful tips, so you can become a no-prep gamemaster. It is organized into three sections: Arcana, Three Keys, and Arrows in the Quiver. The Arcana section deals with my history and struggles with learning how to gamemaster and why I decided to stop preparing for sessions. The Three Keys section is the heart of the No-Prep Gamemaster. These short chapters provide the framework on which anyone can begin to gamemaster without preparation. Arrows in the Quiver is a selection of tips and tricks that any GM can use to cut down preparation time.

The Book of Random Tables: Fantasy Space by Matt Davids

Do you play D&D Spelljammer or Starfinder? Cut down GM prep with 25 D100 random tables for fantasy space tabletop role-playing games.

Some of the random tables included are Book Titles, Items in a Cargo Hold, Items in a Wizard’s Lab, Tourist Traps, Worlds and Places, Alien Animals, Ways to Space, Rumors, Insectoid Names, Mechanical Being Names, Ooze Names, Ship Names, Space Clown Names, World Names, and even more.

The Book of Random Tables: Science Fiction by Matt Davids

Do you play Traveller or Starfinder? Or Star Wars, Star Trek or Stars Without Number? Or another science fiction tabletop role-playing game?

If so, these 26 random tables will help you cut down your GM prep time. Don't waste time creating things your players will never see. The massive illegal drugs table works great with cyberpunk as well.

Use these randoms tables to fill in the details, so you as the game master can focus on storytelling.

The tables include:

• Space Encounters
• Planetary Exploration Encounters
• Rumors from the Spaceport Bar
• Spaceship Mechanical Problems
• Items in a Desk
• Items in a Government Office
• Computer Files
• Items in a Cargo Hold
• Types of Stars
• Types of Planets
• Illegal Drugs
• Plus 15 more!

The Book of Random Tables: Science Fiction 2 by Matt Davids

Do you play science fiction tabletop role-playing games? Like Star Wars, Star Trek, Stars Without Number, Traveller or Starfinder?

These 25 random tables help you cut down GM prep time. Don't waste time creating things your players never see. Fill in the details at the table or create the entire adventure by rolling dice.

Focus on storytelling and have more fun while running your RPG campaigns. Never get caught without a name or a cargo item. Spice up your sessions with random encounters and side quests.

The tables include:

• Adventure Ideas
• Alien Names
• Asteroid Belt Encounters
• Cargo
• Corporation Names
• Fictional Medications
• Fictional Trade Goods
• Lab Experiments
• Planet Names
• Reasons a PC is Absent
• Ship Names
• Space Hazards
• Technobabble
• And 12 More!

The Book of Random Tables Science Fiction 3 by Matt Davids

Do you play science fiction tabletop role-playing games? Like Star Wars, Star Trek, Stars Without Number, Traveller, or Starfinder?

These random tables are geared toward far-future role-playing games. The game master can roll percentile dice for a result or have players roll. No matter how you choose to use the tables, they will cut down GM prep time.

The first section is Cargo Runs. This massive table has one hundred different cargo runs including origin to destination planet, employer name, and complications. Always have a run handy when your players decide to make extra credits by hauling cargo.

Encountering a ship in space or at the port can be exciting. The Ship Transponder Info section provides one hundred different ships complete with story hooks.

Places is the next section. This section includes casinos and hotels, two hundred unexplored planets, and a ravaged research facility. These tables give the game masters fascinating places to present to their players.

The future is a cacophony of clashing media. News and information pour in from tons of sources. The News Chatter section and table provide headlines and news updates. Give your players the sense of a large galaxy with current events happening all around their characters.

The Items and Things section contains several tables: from items in a crashed cargo ship to items in a cockpit to items in a captain’s quarters. Players wish to search every room they enter, so be ready with these random tables.

Planets full of people will always have something going on. The Events section and table give game masters ways to make the universe feel alive. What event is happening on the planet the player characters just landed on? Roll in the table and find out. Maybe it's a festival, maybe it's a conference. But no matter what it is, it will make the setting come to life.

The Names section is quite simple: three hundred human female names, three hundred human male names, and three hundred human surnames. GMs always need names. Players always ask for names.

Science fiction characters got to have skills. The Fields of Study section has two tables of engineering fields. These can be used as occupations for non-player characters, skills for player characters, or to add flavor to the setting.

The final section is Space. This section contains three tables including spacefaring complications, spatial anomalies, and star system discoveries. Never have a boring trip through hyperspace or a star system where the players find nothing out of the ordinary.

These twenty-five random tables are meant to be a game master’s friend. Shake up your campaigns with new ideas and let your players loose. The galaxy awaits and adventure is around every asteroid.

The Book of Random Tables: Eldritch by Matt Davids

Do you play the Call of Cthulhu tabletop role-playing game? 24 D100 Random Tables for TTRPGs

This book is meant to help game masters run eldritch, horror, or mythos-inspired role-playing games. The tables contain weird or strange objects and situations with a hint of the 1920s and 1930s. The random tables are all presented as D100 and can be used in various ways.

Tables include: Fictional Occult Book Titles, Haunted Objects, Items in a Hotel themed for the 1930s, 200 Oddities, Real Occult Book Titles, Dead Bodies with Clues, Eldritch Clues, Random Clues, Dreamscapes, Fictional New England Towns, Angel and Demon Names, Phobias, Cryptids, Alchemists, Detective Names, Fictional Occult Scholar Names, Occultists, Eldritch Story Hooks, and more.

The book is capped off with a list of H.P. Lovecraft Stories. Game masters may wish to do further research into the author who filled us all with a sense of cosmic horror.

(I imagine that it could be used for other games besides Call of Cthulhu that is Lovecraft based)

Dungeons by Matt Davids

Do you play Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder? Get 51 dungeons to cut down your gamemaster prep time.

This book contains 51 dungeon maps with descriptions, plus 5 cities, 5 manors, and 2 inns. All are ready to be added into your RPG campaign or to give you ideas for a new one. Each entry contains descriptions and idea prompts, so they can be tailored to your table and provide inspiration. Also, bonus random tables are included to help fill in details quickly.

Through the Dungeon Deep: A Fantasy Gamer's Handbook by Robert Plamondon

Through Dungeons Deep delves into the art of role-playing, showing players and Game Masters how to have more fun and excitement with fantasy role-playing games.

First published more than 25 years ago, this book was an instant classic, and is now part of the old-school revival. Long out of print, the original edition sells for several times its cover price. This Norton Creek Press reprint makes the book available (and affordable) again.

Robert Plamondon wrote Through Dungeons Deep after realizing that the most important part of role-playing games—role playing—is barely mentioned in gaming systems. When it is, role-playing is often confused with "following the rules." But role-playing really boils down to make-believe—or perhaps "interactive fiction" is the right term—and the real fun in role-playing games comes from unlocking your imagination. But it's also important to carry a length of rope and wear shoes you can run in.

The Dungeon Masters Compendium of Knowledge by Thomas Prophet

The must-have cheat sheet for every dungeon master — become the true master of every tabletop session

and host games so good, everyone will want to play with you!

Did your first experience as a dungeon master not end up as smoothly as you had hoped?

Do you have difficulty dealing with your players and making your game progress without issue?

Are you looking for ways to a) take your dungeon mastering to the next level, b) create a compelling adventure, and c) confidently manage players?

Then you have come to the right place.

As a dungeon master, you play a critical role in ensuring that every game proceeds smoothly and all players on the table enjoy it.

You are basically playing god as you administer and oversee all aspects of the game.

But in this realm where you are god, you must establish specific rules that don't cross the line between stiff and lenient, and between fun and serious.

Most importantly, you don't want to negatively impact everyone’s gaming experience and make them not want to play with you.

So, how do you become a dungeon master that upholds order while keeping the game engaging?

Fortunately, you can count on this guidebook-slash-manual for essential tips all dungeon masters must know.

Read inside to gain profound knowledge about your responsibility as a dungeon master and how you can make the game more enjoyable than before, where you will discover:

• What it means to be a dungeon master and how you can up your game — you have many hats to wear and roles to fulfill!

• The basics of Dungeons & Dragons and how the game works — all DMs must know the ins and outs of the game

• A brief timeline of how table-top RPGs developed — did you know D&D was considered a satanic cult scheme in the 80s?

• The importance of having session zeroes with a checklist for essential topics to cover — preparing your players and setting up expectations can go a long way

• The pitfalls of over- and under-preparing for a session — the key to a successful gaming experience is to balance everything out

• How to create an emotionally safe space for every participant — employ the best practices and most effective safety tools

• Practical tips for managing toxic players and conflict between them — address problematic players without losing your cool

And much more!

Anyone can become a dungeon master, but only a true master can sort through problems, ensure a fair game and keep every player entertained.

Remember: you only win when everyone walks away happy.

And because this book already solves half the problems for you, all that’s left now is for you to have fun!

HowExpert Guide to Tabletop Roleplaying Games by Jeffery Wright

Take a deep dive into the art of making and playing unforgettable characters in your favorite tabletop roleplaying game! For decades, TTRPGs have been bringing friends together to tell stories of adventure and intrigue. Now the genre has become more popular than ever with appearances in movies, TV shows, podcasts, and more!

But what if you want to add even more immersion to your game? The answer is in roleplaying! With dynamic and popular series such as Critical Role available to watch online, it can be (understandably!) intimidating to start adding more roleplaying to your game. But there is no need to fear!

This comprehensive roleplaying guide will teach you how to:
• Plan and kick off your tabletop RPG experience
• Create your own unique character that is fully immersed in your game’s world
• Find and use inspiration for your TTRPG characters
• Use description to grow your imagination and make more compelling stories
• Adapt your character to your game’s world
• Develop skills that are useful in and outside of the game
• Find your next favorite TTRPG series
• Connect with other gamers!

With a proven process for creating engaging characters honed over many awkward and nerdy years, this guide is your one must-have resource to make and play unforgettable TTRPG characters!

The Player’s Codex of Conduct: Ancient Wisdom from a Veteran Dungeon Master

Ancient Wisdom from a Veteran Dungeon Master:

Tips for Helping Your DM/GM to Run the Best Game Possible.

By Thomas Prophet

If you've ever felt the need to level up your role-playing game etiquette and become an admired and respected player, then keep reading...

Have you ever felt lost amidst the immersive landscapes of Dungeons and Dragons?

Have there been times you felt unsure, a bit like a fledgling wizard casting a spell for the first time, wondering if there's more to the game that you're just not grasping?

Perhaps you've sat around the gaming table, dice in hand, watching as a fellow player smoothly navigate the game’s complexities, wishing you could be that confident and intuitive player.

Imagine being at that table, knowing exactly what to do, understanding the subtle nuances, and communicating with your team and Dungeon Master like a seasoned pro.

Envision yourself immersing deeply into your character, becoming one with their backstory, their motivations, and their decisions, making the gameplay experience incredibly enriching – not just for you but for everyone involved.

Picture a gaming session where conflicts are resolved amicably, respect is the rule rather than the exception, and everyone feels heard and valued.

This might seem like a D&D utopia, but it's more attainable than you think!

A place where everyone contributes to the narrative in a meaningful way, where the gameplay flows like a well-told story, making the entire experience much more enjoyable and satisfying.

That's the realm of gaming this must-have manual aims to transport you to – it is your guide to navigating these challenges and growing as a D&D player.

Inside, you will discover:

• How to create an atmosphere of respect and inclusivity for all players and the DM

• Techniques for crystal clear communication that prevent misunderstandings and keep the game running smoothly

• Ways to fully embrace your character's personality and backstory for a more immersive role-playing experience

• Strategies for resolving conflicts in a constructive manner, and maintaining a positive gaming atmosphere

• The true meaning of sportsmanship within the context of D&D and how to apply it in your games

• Key etiquette for ensuring a clean, tidy, and respectful gaming environment free of toxicity and issues that may arise

• Crucial tips and wisdom directly to help you become a master of the game

And much more!

You might believe that ensuring a smooth game solely falls on the Dungeon Master's shoulders.

While the Dungeon Master plays a crucial role, each player contributes to the overall experience.

By embracing the principles outlined in this book, you actively participate in creating an enjoyable gaming environment for all.

So, what are you waiting for?